Picking the Right Melon

How do I actually figure out the right thing to do? Romans 12:1-2

New Living Translation Chapter 12

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

How do I determine what is good and what is bad? There are too many influences in my life to make a clear decision. Lord, I even find it difficult sometimes to pray and stay focused when I spend time with you because there are always so many things that are running thru my mind. Trying to figure the right thing to do is like being at the grocery store, trying to pick the right melon. There are over 40 types of melons. Each has a Maturity Size, Hardiness Zone, Light, Water, Soil. Imagine my wife Brenda telling me to go to the store and buy a melon and I am standing in the store with all these types of melons and I have to figure out with melon am I going to pick. What things can I do to make sure then, that I pick the right melon? I have to know who Brenda is. I have to know how she thinks. I have to know what the occasion is. I have to already know what she likes and what she does not like.

Know the Standard Acts 5:29

New Living Translation Chapter 5

29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.

We have to know what the standard is. We have to know the level of attainment. We have to know what to use as a measure. As we are making our decisions, we have to know what standard to follow. I have to choose between all these other gods and the one true God. Is my standard What God tells me or is it what people think? Peter and the apostles were standing before the Sanhedrin so they had all of these different people that were putting pressure on them to do things they way they wanted them done. But Peter knew the standard.

Does it Qualify 1 John 4:2-3

New Living Translation Chapter 4

2 This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. 3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

We often go into a decision without even knowing what the qualifications are. A qualification is a quality or accomplishment that makes someone suitable. We do things without the benefit of knowing Gods promises. Does it qualify, does it fit the criteria of what God’s will is leading you to. Is it something that is already on your path? We get so bogged down with things that are not even in the path of what God wants us to do

Trust the Process Romans 14:22–23

New Living Translation Chapter 14

22 You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23 But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

You have to trust that the decision you made is what God meant for you to decide. You cant keep second guessing your decision. You have to know that the Melon that you picked is the good one. You have to trust your process enough to be able to bring the melon home and eat it. Could you imagine going to the store, thumping this melon, bringing it home and then saying to yourself, self, I dont know if I wanna eat this melon. I am not really really sure. God, I have this blessing you gave me but I am not really really sure I am going to walk in it. You couldnt have meant this blessing for me. Have you seen me?

Salvation - God shows us the way to make the right decisions and it starts with accepting His son as Savior.

Benediction